Public Policy Forum Research

Over the years, the Forum has built a reputation as the region's premier source of data and analysis on K-12 education issues, with annual reports on the demographics, achievement and financing of public and private schools. More recently, we have expanded our portfolio to include early childhood education, with a multi-year research project on child care quality that has helped shape state policy in that area. In addition, we have initiated a two-year project on afterschool programming in Milwaukee.

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Publications

The recent appointment of a new superintendent, the need for priority-setting in the face of dramatic state budget cuts, and increased national attention on school reform have elevated the performance of the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) to the...

For the first time since its 1998 expansion to include religious schools, enrollment in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) did not grow in the 2010-2011 school year. Currently, 20,996 private school students receive taxpayer-funded tuition...

As policymakers in Madison redesign the state’s child care subsidy program – known as Wisconsin Shares – it is important to understand the original vision for the program. This report investigates the development and implementation of Wisconsin...

The Talent Dividend Initiative is a national program that seeks to increase educational attainment levels in major urban areas as part of a strategy to enhance their economic health. The initiative is spearheaded by CEOs for Cities, a network of...

This is the 13th annual report on the conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District (RUSD). This year, our analysis again focuses on the long-term historical trends in RUSD and compares the district to nine peer districts across the state...